Professor Brooks
ENG 121 – 012
28 September 2010
The Effects of Friendship
Joseph Addison once said, “The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover.” Friendship is something that is truly a blessing to have in your life. Based upon Webster 's Dictionary, the definition of a friend is, "A person whom one knows, likes and trusts.” But to all, friendship has no defined terminology. Some friends are made at a very early stage and are kept throughout our life. Studies show that between the ages of 15 and 25 is when most people establish lifelong friendships. Friends are people that become part of your lifestyle. A true friend is one that is always there for you whenever you are in need. They are someone that you know you can run to for a shoulder to cry on, tell your problems and stories to, or someone that you can laugh with. They are there to motivate, to encourage, and to push us to achieve our goals. They are a true support system 24/7.
The type of friends a person possess usually widely varies. You have people that you are around on a daily basis and enjoy having conversations with, but those type of friends may be considered more of an acquaintance or comrade. There are also the friends that you spend more time with regularly and can tell them more personal things. It is usually easier to relate to someone you consider a friend rather than an acquaintance. Continuing up the friendship ladder resides a person that you refer to as your best friend. This person is always by your side, physically or not. This is the person that you can tell anything and everything to and know that you can trust them with keeping it between just the two of you and also knowing that they will not judge you because of it.
On the other hand, sometimes you have to be careful with who you befriend. Sadly, there are people out there that will spread rumors